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40. Chapter 111. Proxy

111. Proxy

POV: Takeshi

Takeshi's heart was heavy. Sunken with a mood he couldn't describe, he was plague with worry. Flooded with concern, for the one boy he didn't want to see on a hospital bed again.

No one knew how they would break the news to Rei, that he only had the week to-- to live.

When they finally moved Re out of the Intensive Care Unit and allowed visitors, Takeshi was reluctant to leave his side.

Reluctant, but he needed to.

Eyeing the battle watch on his wrist, he recalled what occurred just yesterday. The battle no one won, the battle spent running away- and that battle at night, where they spent running around aimlessly, being protected, and just barely surviving thirty minutes with their watches intact.

It was pathetic. Pathetic, and yet here Takeshi was, too concerned about Rei to focus on the next step they had to take. 

Tsuna-- he was sitting right beside Takeshi, in the same, nervous poise-- Tsuna probably had it worse. He was done in by his father, after all; and the news of the Shimon being eradicated brought him down even more.

Gokudera, sitting by the side with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep-- he was evidently restless in worry for the boy as well-- but he was a little more lost and conflicted.

Gently, Takeshi reached out to Rei. To the boy sleeping soundly on the hospital bed-- an oxygen mask on his face, IVs attached, bandages around his neck--

Just a gentle brush across his cheek. 

Takeshi flinched when Rei unconsciously leaned in to the touch.

Standing up abruptly, he panicked. "Rei's awake!" he informed Tsuna. Should they call a doctor? run out? Both were too surprised by the sudden occurrence to think things through.

"Kunomasu-sensei!" Tsuna rushed out, "Uh, Kunomasu-sensei??"

"Where's that stupid doctor when we need him, geez!" Gokudera groaned.

"Rei, are you okay?"

The boy began to stir, eyes twitching and fingers tensing as he shuffled slightly-- then parting his eyelids, he winced at the lighting.

Attention was quickly turned to the boy.

His hand outstretched, he seemed to be reaching for something. Taking his hand quickly, Takeshi noticed Rei was struggling. Exerting himself-- to push himself up.

"You don't have to-" 

Takeshi spoke before he could think, but the boy didn't look like he would give up. Knowing Rei's occasionally stubborn demeanor, Takeshi simply eased the boy to sit up.

But something was strange.

Rei's eyes were uncomfortable. 

He blinked a few times, rubbed them, and still looked as if he was struggling to keep them open. He didn't speak-- but after catching sight of Takeshi, his mind drifted away, as if Takeshi was of no real importance to take note of.

Rei looked confused. He seemed to be... lost.

The way he was swaying a little, dizzy, eyes drifting around slowly, trying to figure things out-- It was a sight very foreign to Takeshi's eyes.

There was just something about the fluidity, the instinct of each movement the boy made-- it was just-- weird. Somehow.

Takeshi's eyes drifted-- and met Tsuna's for one brief moment.

Could it be, Tsuna thought so too?

The gentle beeping of the heart machine, before anyone realized, had quickened slightly. Rei's eyes were frozen in lace, his whole body tensed-- and Takeshi snapped toward the heart machine just as it began to wail like a siren.

"Rei, calm down!" he stood up quickly, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking the brown-haired boy out of his trance. 

Rei's eyes seemed to widen in surprise-- and, hesitantly, his expression stuck unchangeable-- he lowered his head. His heartbeat steadied itself. 

He bit his lip, and stared down. The worry and concern and fear was in his eyes-- and showed in his poise. His fingers interlocked unconsciously as if a prayer--

A psychological call for help.

Something was wrong, it wasn't hard to understand. Perhaps it was because Rei had just woken from a coma. Maybe he was just confused, lost, and scared of what he had just experienced.

Maybe that was it.

"Hey, Rei-san..." Tsuna spoke up nervously, trying to put a smile of assurance on his face, "You're... You're safe here."

Tsuna understood too. Kuma-sensei had spoken of it-- that people often woke up from comas afraid, panicked-- aimless.

"You're alright." Tsuna spoke softly.

Rei's immediate reaction was to clutch the sheets, his eyes narrowing as if to hold back tears.

Loosening his shoulder, taking a deep breath to calm himself-- Rei lifted his head. A gentle smile made its way onto his face quickly, and he nodded, beaming and innocent and-- he nodded.

His eyes held no emotion. Not sadness-- not fake happiness-- they were completely empty.

Takeshi tensed.

No, he quickly realized, no.

That's not his smile. 

Those aren't his eyes.

Takeshi's heart sank in despair.

That's not my Rei.